Locking device for spring-rail frogs



(No Model.)

M. L. 85 H. W. BYERS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SPRING RAIL FROGS.

No. 462,201. Patented 001:. 27, 1891.

'igia/ ("L ATTORNEYS WITNESSES PNOTDLITHKL, wasumm'ou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTON L. BYERS AND HENRY \V. BYERS, OF NEXV CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR SPRING-RAIL FROGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,201, dated October27, 1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No.380 019. (No model.]

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that we, MORTON L. BYERS and HENRY W. BYERS, both of NewCastle, in the county of Lawrence and State of lfennsyl- Vania, haveinvented a new and useful Locking Device for Spring-Rail Frogs, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in spring-rail frogs forrailroads, usually en1- ployed and affording means for the passage of'acar or cars from a siding to annain track.

As ordinarily constructed spring'rail frogs are defective from the wantof a lateral support to the spring-rail opposite the frog-point, whichrail may be forced out from the point of the frog sufficiently by awheel worn to a double-flanged condition and running on the main line toallow said wheel to drop from the frog-point and break or dislodge therails ahead, causing a wreck.

The object of our invention is to provide a simple and reliableattachment for an ordinary spring-rail frog} which will secure thespring-rail against lateral movement until the frog is used as a meansfor transferring cars from a side track to a main track, therebyassuring the continuity of the main track and avoidance of accidentswhich result from nonsupport of the elastic rail of a spring-frog.

To this end our invention consists in a spring-rail locking device, andfurther con sists in the construction and combination of parts, as ishereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forniinga part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a main track and an adjacent sidetrack broken, a spring-rail frog in position to connect these tracks,and the locking device in locked adjustment thereon. Fig. 2 isatransverse section of the side track, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1,viewed in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of theouter sidetrack rail, broken, ends of cross-ties which support therails, and a spring-supported treadbar in pivotal connection with atransverse rock-shaft, (also shown 5) and Fig. 4 is a crosssection of aside-track rail, broken, and other details shown in Fig. 3, taken on theline i a in said figure.

A is an outer main-track rail; A, a guardrail adjacent to the rail A,commonly used to prevent lateral displacement of car-wheels whilepassing a frog. B is the outer rail ofa side track, which approaches atan angle to the main track, intersecting the latter, and B theguard-rail for the side track. The spring-frog is composed of four railssimilar to the track-rails in weight, height, and form, with theexception, as relates to shape, that the rails forming the sides of thefrog are bent and the pair forming the point of the frog are sloped offon one side near an adjoining end of each rail to produce the pointproper.

C is one of the side rails of the spring-frog, which is bent at a,forming an obtuse angle, laterally considered, said rail being securedto the cross-ties D, so that its principal portion C will lie in a planeparallel with the outer rail B of the side track, and thus constitute amating side-track rail. The other end portion 0 of the side rail 0 isbent at h toward the guard-rail A of the main track. Said portion of therigidly-secured frog side railO extending between the points a and I) onthe same lies in a plane parallel with the main track outer rail A. Theremaining side rail E of the frog is bent laterally at (Z, and has oneportion E firmly attached by suitable devices, as at e, to thecross-ties D, this portion of the side rail E of the frog being locatedparallel to the main-track rail A and a proper distance from it toprovide an opposite main-track rail at this point. The portion E of thefrog side rail E diverges from the portion 0 of the otherfrog side railC a proper degree to render it parallel with the outer side-track railB,and is placed upon the cross-ties D without attachment, so that from thepoint at to the terminal end 9 of the rail portion E said rail portionmay be caused by lateral pressure to yield elastically. The

end portion between f and g of the rail portion 11 is bent toward theguardrail B, and thus forms a throat between said end and the point-railF, which latter is secured parallel to the outer rail B of the sidetrack, the other point-rail G being located parallel to the main-trackrail A, both point-rails being IOO s I eeaaoi shaped to cause them toconverge and pro duce a thin wedge-shaped terminal end 72-. Thecomposite frog-point extends between the divergent end portions C E ofthe frog side rails O and E and has the side of the point-rail F engagedby theinner side of the spring portion E of the frog side rail E, saidcontact being enforced by the supplementary spring 2', that is adaptedto force a pusher-bar against the adjacent side of the rail portion Eand hold it normally in contact with the side of the point-rail named.There is a proper space afforded between the side of the point-rail Gand the portion 0 of the fixed rail 0, so as to permit the free travelof car- Wheel flanges through said channel, the treads of which wheelsroll upon the frog-side-rail portion E and point-rail G, the oppositecarwheels resting and rolling upon the maintrack rail A. As theformation of the frogpoint and its relative position affords acontinuous support for the wheels that travel upon the frog andmain-track rail, the jar incidental to frogs not provided with aspringrail is obviated. In transferring a train or single car from theside track to the main track the flanges of the wheels of the car on theside nearest to the frog will enter the throat between the end 9 of thespring-rail portion E and crowd the elastic rail-piece away from theadjacent frog-point rail F sufficient to allow the car or train to passfrom the side track diagonally across, and farther on to engage a switchthat will align it with the main track. (Not shown.)

Along with the advantages that pertain to the use of a spring-rail frog,which are avoidance of jar and increased durability, owing to thebridging of the space between the frogpoint and rail continuation, so asto prevent an impinge directly against the frog-point, there is aserious defect consisting in the liability of cars suffering derailmentwhile crossing the frog. is due to the yielding of the spring-railportion E which being forced laterally by an engagement with it of abadly-worn wheel that is so grooved on its tread as to produce a falseflange on the outer edge of the same, which, when running in thedirection from G to E, causes the false flange to impinge on the inneredge of the spring-rail E at or near the point f, thereby forcing it outinstead of rolling upon its top, as is the case with a carwheel in anunworn condition. Then a channeled and consequently double-flanged wheelspreads the spring-rail E, as just explained, it will drop from thefrog-point to the ground and so damage the track ahead as to cause awreck.

The locking attachment for the spring-rail E consists of a transverserock-shaft H, supported below the track-rails and frog by bracketboxes713, that are secured on the crosstie D at a point which will locate thebody of the shaft near to or directly below the point h of the frog andnear the point (Z where the This contingency of accidentlaterally-elastic portion E of the springd'ail E commences. the siderail 0 of the frog a proper distance, and is supported near thisterminal by a bracket-box 76, there being a collar m formed upon orsecured to the rock-shaft at a point which will cause it to have contactwith the base-flange of the frog side rail C. Upon the rock-shaft H alocking-lug 'n. is formed, preferably integral with it, which issorelatively placed that'it will when located in an upright position, asshown in Figs. land 2,have its vertical face in close contact with theedge of the base-flange 0 of the spring-railE close to the angle at andpoint of the frog, thus looking the spring-rail when it is against the frogpoint 7L. Preferably the locking action effected by the collar on andlug n of the rockshaft H is accomplished automatically, there being atread-bar I provided for this purpose, said bar being of such aproportionate length that it will be adapted to receive the impact of alocomotive or car wheel before the frog is engaged by a mating wheel.

The tread-bar I may be made solid or in skeleton form, as is indicatedin cross-section, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) and is supported in a planeparallel with the cuter side-track rail B by the bracket-stands J, whichare seated on and secured to the cross-ties D, each bracket-stand havingan inclosed spring 19, that engages a collar p on the arm 1". Said armsprojecting from the side of the treadbar are bent at a right angle, soas to align the collars p and permit them to slide in the springcavitiesof the bracket-stands. A check-collar s is placed and secured upon theend portions of the arms r, that project through perforations in thebases of the bracket-stands J, which stands are fastened in place aboverecesses s in the cross-ties they are seated upon, so as to permit thetread-bar I to have a limited vertical movement at each end. There is ashort crankarm a formed upon or secured to the rockshaft H, which ispivotally engaged with a depending arm to, that is projected from thetread-bar I, the crank-arm being thus adapted to receive a rockingmotion when either of the ends of the tread-bar are depressed, it beingnecessary for the proper action of the device that the tread-bar shouldbe somewhat higher than the top face of the head of'the side-track railB and each end portion sloped downwardly to provide an inclined planefor an engagement of car-wheels.

The normal position of the spring-rail portion E as before stated, is asindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the spring of the rail and the re-enforcingaction of the supplementary spring 71 causing it to lie against thefrogpoint terminal portion h, as shown in thelast figure named, and thesprings 19 by their tensional force hold the tread-bar I normallyelevated and the lug n in a vertical position. Hence the spring-railwill be prevented from outward yielding movement until a rolling Theshaft H extends beyond wheel impinges either end of the tread-bar, whichwill be thereby depressed sufficiently to rock the lug n from an uprightto a hori- Zontal plane and release the spring-rail for the passage of awheel-flange between the spring-rail portion E and the frog-rail pointit.

The rock-shaft H maybe located nearer the end g of the spring-rail E, ifthis is deemed expedient, and other means than the treadbar may beutilized to rock the shaftH, while it is preferred to use said tread-baras being a simple and practical automatic actuator for the lockingdevice, that is the essential feature of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A locking devicefor a spring-rail frog, composed of a transverse rock-shaft, which isrevolubly supported, a collar on the shaft engaging the rigidly-securedside rail of the frog, and a lug on the shaft, which is adapted to lockor release the spring-rail when the shaft is rocked, substantially asset forth.

2. The combination, with a frog having a rigid side rail and a springside rail, of a transverse rock-shaft having alug on it adapted toengage the springrail, means to revolubly support the shaft, and adevice to rock the shaft, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with a frog having a rigid side rail and a spring siderail, of a transverse rock-shaft having a spaced collar and lug on it,means to revoluhly support the shaft, and a device to rock the shaft,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a frog having a spring-rail, of a transverserock-shaft, a collar on the shaft, alug thereon which is adapted toengage the side of the spring-rail and lock it when the frog is inclosed condition, and a device which will rock the shaft and release thespring-rail, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a frog having one spring-rail and asupplementary spring for said spring-rail, of a transverse rock-shaft,bracket-boxes that support the shaft to rock, a collar on the shaft thatbears upon the fixed side rail of the frog, a lug on the shaft thatlocks the spring-rail in closed condition, and a tread-barspring-supported and adapted to rock the shaft and remove its lug fromthe spring-rail when said bar is depressed at either end, substantiallyas set forth.

MORTON L. BYERS. HENRY V. BYERS.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. R. McKEE, IIIRAM G. MILLER.

